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Jesus and the Songs We Sing, Pt. 1

By on November 14, 2012 in —Leading a Congregation, —Other Events, —Worship and Christ

The past few weeks I had the privilege of speaking at the Doxology and Theology conference in Frisco, TX, and the Christian Musicians Summit in Seattle, WA. One of the breakouts I did at D&T was called The Worship Leader and Christ. I shaved about 40 minutes off that message, renamed it “Jesus and Our Songs,” and gave it again at CMS. Here’s a summary of what I shared. Christians worship a triune God – Father, Son, and Spirit. All three person are equally God and equally worthy of worship. That’s one of the many things that distinguish us from Buddhists, Muslims, and Mormons. But the three persons of the Trinity possess unique roles …

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What I Learned from Playing a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass

By on October 16, 2012 in —Musicians & Vocalists

We’re now three weeks into the startup of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. I’ve been having a great time getting back into the pattern of leading every Sunday, planning out the order of the service, having weekly rehearsals at my house, being part of the set-up and take-down teams again, and getting to the Sunday meeting a lot earlier than I’ve been getting there the last few years. And I love it. Except maybe for the “getting to the meeting early every Sunday” part. One of the things I’ve missed as I’ve handed off regular Sunday leading to others is being involved in the day-to-day issues, challenges, joys, mishaps, failures, and …

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WorshipGod 2013 Update

By on October 12, 2012 in —Sovereign Grace Music, —WorshipGod Conferences

I’ve been receiving an increasing number of questions about WorshipGod13. Are we having one? Where will it be? Are you still alive? Yes to questions 1 and 3. And here’s the scoop on question two. The big news is that we’re actually planning not one, but TWO WorshipGod events in 2013. June 27-29, 2013 we’re hoping to hold a conference in Orange County, CA. For years individuals and teams have traveled across the country to attend WorshipGod in Maryland. I’ve been amazed and humbled by their commitment. But we’re finally holding a conference in a location nearer to where they live. Eric Turbedsky, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church OC, has graciously …

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Can I Change the Lyrics to Your Song?

By on October 11, 2012 in —Music Legalities

  People sometimes ask us if they can change the lyrics to Sovereign Grace songs. A common request we’ve received is to change the “gates of gold” phrase in the third verse of Steve and Vikki Cook’s song I Will Glory in My Redeemer, because Rev. 21:21 says that they’re gates of pearl. Others want to add verses to songs (like The Gospel Song) or rewrite entire lyrics to songs, which is a bad idea. It’s like demanding someone enter into a co-writing relationship with you when you’ve never met each other. And it’s not very often that the new or additional lyrics are an improvement on the original. So with very few exceptions, our …

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Leading Worship in Song When You’re Not a Musician

By on October 10, 2012 in —Leading a Congregation, —Worship and the Pastor

I’m often asked if it’s possible to lead worship in song if you’re not a musician. In my response I usually make the point that leading corporate worship is pastoral function before it’s a musical one. So the answer is, “yes.” Through the years I’ve had the privilege of training the men in the Pastors College of Sovereign Grace Ministries  in the area of music and worship. Most of the guys have at least one opportunity to lead the rest of the class in song, whether they’re musical or not. It helps them see what really goes in to leading, and also enables them to evaluate others in a more informed way. They learn that you …

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Eres Dios – Our New Spanish Album

By on September 20, 2012 in —Sovereign Grace Music, —Spanish Books, CDs, Websites

For over 25 years, Sovereign Grace Music has been producing albums primarily for English speaking churches. But in his kindness, God has allowed us to serve Hispanic congregations as well. For decades, members of our church in Juarez, Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Cd. Juárez, led by Carlos Contreras, have played a primary role. We’re deeply indebted to them, and especially Roxana Munoz, for joyfully and faithfully translating our songs into Spanish. We recorded a number of those translations on our first Spanish project, Sea la Gloria solo a Ti. Two years ago we produced our second Spanish album, this time made up entirely of new songs. Mauricio …

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From the Archives: Ten Reasons to Share Musical Opinions Humbly

By on August 16, 2012 in —Worship and Music

I’ve been musing recently about how we express our musical opinions. Why do we feel so strongly about songs, bands, and styles? And why do we draw conclusions so quickly? Nope. Don’t like it. That stinks. I can’t stand that kind of music. You like that stuff? Is there anything wrong with raving about the music/artists we love and being swift to trash those we despise? If we’re Christians, yes. Let me suggest ten reasons why musical forbearance might be good for our souls. 1. Being a self-appointed music critic is often just a sign of pride. Using outrageous or exaggerated words to put down certain songs, styles, or artists can be a symptom …

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Holy Spirit, Breath of God – Getty/Townend Hymn

By on August 10, 2012 in —Worship and the Spirit

During the charismatic outpouring of the 1970s many churches became more aware of the Holy Spirit than they had ever been. That awareness then, and in subsequent years, resulted in songs to and about the Holy Spirit which weren’t always as theologically precise as one would hope. Given the number of times we repeated some of those songs, it seemed as though the Holy Spirit was either hard of hearing or resistant to our requests to have him move among us, fill us, empower us, or be with us. That’s why I’m so grateful for writers like Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, writers of In Christ Alone, The Power of the Cross, and many more modern hymns …

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What’s on Tap from Sovereign Grace Music

By on August 6, 2012 in —Sovereign Grace Music, —Spanish Books, CDs, Websites

Sovereign Grace Music exists to provide Christ exalting songs and training for local churches. I thank God for the many people who regularly let me know how God is using our songs to do just that. Since moving to Louisville, KY in June, I’ve been asked if Sovereign Grace Music is taking a break. Well, not exactly. Steve Cook, who heads up our album production, moved to Louisville a couple weeks ago, but he’s been traveling back to Gaithersburg to finish up some projects as we’re getting ready for new ones. Here’s what we’re currently working on: From Age to Age – In case you missed it, our last album (released in April) was From …

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Looking for a Keyboard/Piano?

By on June 22, 2012 in —Music Equipment, —Musicians & Vocalists, —Websites

People occasionally email me asking if I have any recommendations for a keyboard, especially one with a great piano sound. Rather than respond and reveal that my knowledge of electronic keyboards dried up somewhere in the mid-90s, I immediately forward the request to my good friend, Roger Hooper. Roger used to head up the keyboard department at Washington Music Center, and now does freelance arranging, scoring, playing, and tech blogging. He’s a brilliant keyboardist and synth player, and writes some great music as well. If you have a chance, check out his latest film soundtrack, The Road We Know (also available on iTunes and Amazon) Roger …

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From the Archives: Can Singing About the Gospel Become Rote?

By on May 25, 2012 in —Leading a Congregation, —Worship and Christ

One of the drums I will never tire of beating is this: All biblical worship is rooted in and made possible by the cross of Christ. In my experience, the contemporary church (and any church, for that matter) is always in danger of neglecting the gospel in its songs. I said it this way in my book, Worship Matters: The gospel is not merely one of many possible themes we can touch on as we come to worship God. It is the central and foundational theme. All our worship originates and is brought into focus at the cross of Jesus Christ. Glorying in Jesus Christ means glorying in his cross. That doesn’t mean looking at some icon or two pieces …

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Moving to Louisville

By on May 24, 2012 in —Family, —Sovereign Grace Music

In a little under two weeks my family and I will be moving to Louisville, KY. After thirty years of being in Gaithersburg, MD, Sovereign Grace Ministries, the family of churches that I serve, is relocating its offices. I’ve been here since 1997, so it’s understandably a bittersweet departure. But I’m filled with faith for what God has planned for the future. The Lord has been kind to us in Gaithersburg. We’ve been able to co-labor with Covenant Life Church to put on conferences of all types (including WorshipGod), host the Sovereign Grace Pastors College, and serve other Sovereign Grace churches in our region. But a potential move has …

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One More Reason We Make Kids’ Albums

By on May 11, 2012 in —Children, —Sovereign Grace Music

Every so often I’ll run into someone who reminds me that long after we record an album, God continues to use it in people’s lives. In late January, I was in Orange County, CA for a Gathering event. On Sunday morning I spoke at the Sovereign Grace Church of Orange County, led by Eric Turbedsky. It was there I met David and Laura. They shared their story with me and I was so affected that I asked them to send it to me. Here’s what they wrote: We have been blessed with not only a daughter, but God in the last two and a half years has blessed us with four more little ones. These children belonged to my wife’s niece, but because of her constant …

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Looking Forward to NEXT 2012:You and Your Church

By on May 9, 2012 in —Next/New Attitude

In just a couple weeks I’ll be down in Orlando, FL helping to lead corporate worship at the very last NEXT. The theme of this year’s conference is You and Your Church. I’ve been involved with the music at NEXT ever since Josh Harris started the conference back in 1999, although then it was called New Attitude. I continued to lead when Eric Simmons took over a few years ago and changed the name to NEXT. It’s a fantastic conference that I’ve been hugely privileged to be involved with. But each year I’ve expected to be told that I wouldn’t be needed any more, since NEXT is a conference aimed at singles and young couples, of which I am neither. …

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New From Sovereign Grace Music – From Age to Age

By on April 10, 2012 in —Sovereign Grace Music

After hundreds of hours of preparation, our newest album, From Age to Age, is finally available. It’s a collection of 14 songs (15 if you count the instrumental prelude), that were inspired by or drawn from the great hymn writers of the past. Here’s how we described the album in the liner notes: How does one define a hymn? It’s hard to say, but most hymns are characterized by theologically rich lyrics, symmetrical rhythmic patterns in the verse lyrics, and a tune that congregations find easy to sing. At the heart of hymn-writing is a desire to create a song that will endure for generations. Inspired by the hymn writers of the past, …

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